The Hill Report: Week of July 7 - 11, 2008
This week in Washington, Congress reconvened for legislative business but failed to address any meaningful solutions to our nation’s energy crisis. In a prime display of broken Washington, the House passed legislation designating a park trail, lecturing the Executive branch on how to save emails, and recognizing space exploration anniversaries.
With national average gasoline costs reaching a record $4.11 a gallon this week, the American people deserve action – not political games from a Do-Nothing Congress. That is why I have joined energy independence supporters in Congress in signing petitions to force votes on real energy solutions, both short-term and long-term, through common-sense legislation each session week this summer:
1. H.R. 3089, No More Excuses Energy Act of 2007 (Week of June 9)
Reduces the price of gasoline by opening new American oil refineries; investing in clean energy sources such as wind, nuclear, and captured carbon dioxide; and making available more American energy through environmentally-sensitive exploration of the Arctic Energy Slope (ANWR in Alaska) and America’s Deep-Sea Energy Reserves.
2. H.R. 2279, To Expand American Refining Capacity on Closed Military Installations (Week of June 16)
Reduces the price of gasoline by streamlining the refinery application process and by requiring the President to open at least three closed military installations for the purpose of siting new and reliable American refineries.
3. H.R. 5656, To Repeal the Ban on Acquiring Alternative Fuels (Week of June 23)
Reduces the price of gasoline by allowing the federal government to procure advanced alternative fuels derived from alternative sources like oil shale, tar sands and coal-to-liquid technology.
4. H.R. 2208, Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Act (Week of July 7)
Reduces the price of gasoline by encouraging the use of clean coal-to-liquid technology and authorizing the Secretary of Energy to enter into loan agreements with coal-to-liquid projects that produce innovative transportation fuel.
5. H.R. 2493, Fuel Mandate Reduction Act of 2007 (Week of June 14)
Reduces the price of gasoline by removing fuel blend requirements and onerous government mandates found contributing to unaffordable gas prices.
6. H.R. 6107, American Energy Independence and Price Reduction Act (Week of July 21)
Reduces the price of gasoline by opening the Arctic Energy Slope in Alaska to environmentally-sensitive American energy exploration. The development footprint would be limited to 0.01% of the Refuge, and revenue received from the new leases would be invested in a long-term alternative energy trust fund.
7. H.R. 6108, Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2008 (Week of July 28)
Reduces the price of gasoline by enabling the United States to responsibly explore its own deep ocean to produce American energy. The bill would grant coastal states the authority to keep exploration 100 miles from their coastlines and would allow states to share in the revenues received.
Unfortunately, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and her fellow members of the Democrat Party determine what bills come before the House of Representatives, and thus far, we have seen no legislation that will help reduce the cost of energy for Americans. Despite Republican efforts to gather the necessary 218 congressional signatures to override the Speaker’s House floor decisions, the Majority has so far each week voted down consideration of our American energy proposals listed above.
In a telling admission, one Democratic aide described his Party’s energy plan this way: “Right now, our strategy on gas prices is ‘Drive small cars and wait for the wind.’” (The Hill, July 8, 2008) Clearly, this is no way to relieve the energy cost burden that families, businesses, churches and synagogues, and schools are bearing because of our nation’s failure to prioritize energy independence.
The American people deserve better, and I will continue to rally support for effective energy policies that will help reduce the high cost of energy and place our nation on a path toward real energy independence.
New Veteran Center in Dallas County
Combat veterans in the 32nd District will soon be able to receive assistance and care from a new Veteran Center in Dallas County, as part of a national expansion announced this week by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA will establish 39 total new Vet Centers throughout the country, and all sites are scheduled to be operational by the end of December 2009. Other new locations in Texas will include facilities in Bexar, Harris, and Tarrant counties.
Vet Centers provide counseling on employment, family issues and education to combat veterans and family members, and the Centers also offer bereavement counseling for families of service members killed on active duty. Vet Center services are available free of charge to veterans who have experienced combat during any war era, and the Centers are staffed by teams of counselors, outreach workers, and other specialists. Many of the employees are themselves combat veterans, and the Centers have already hired as outreach specialists 100 combat veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
I am pleased that there will be additional assistance to our Dallas veterans and that the VA has made national expansion a priority to provide improved services to more veterans across the United States. We owe our veterans the utmost respect and support for their sacrifice to our country, and I look forward to working with local and national leaders as the new Vet Center is established in Dallas County.
Have a good weekend.